Killer Tornado tears Mississippi apart leaving 7 people dead. The twister was reported around 1:30 a.m., and swept through Mississippi's pine-covered hill country as severe thunderstorms rumbled across several Southeast states. Power blackouts affected tens of thousands of Louisiana residents, and authorities reported damage to some Alabama homes. Georgia residents also braced for potentially heavy rains.

National Weather Service officials say at least five tornadoes struck Mississippi before early Thursday morning.

Mississippi Emergency Management officials say at least 60 homes were damaged and 17 people were injured in tornadoes that touched down in Simpson County, with two people needing to be airlifted to a hospital for treatment while the others were treated at local hospitals.